CHAPTER 168: WHISPERS OF THE FORGOTTEN

After the hunter test, Ali had returned to his chamber and was flipping through some scrolls when suddenly...

Knock! Knock!

"Who is it?" Ali asked, hearing the knock on the door.

"It’s me, Guild Master," Noah’s voice came from the other side of the door.

"Oh, Noah. Come in."

Creak! The door opened slowly as Noah stepped inside. Right behind him was Emily.

"I was just wondering when you two would finally show up. So tell me, how are things? Is your retirement over or do you plan to keep dodging responsibilities a bit longer?" Ali asked casually, still looking through the scrolls without turning to face them.

"We weren’t dodging at all, Master," Noah replied with a light, awkward smile, scratching the side of his head. In front of others, he might be a lion, but in front of Ali, he still acted like a cub. Not because he was weak, but because Ali was his master... and a bit stronger too.

"Is that so?" Ali finally looked up at them. "Why are you two still standing? Sit down." He gestured toward the two empty chairs in front of his desk.

Noah and Emily both gave a small bow out of courtesy before taking their seats.

"So then, what were you cooking all this time?" Ali asked with a grin.

"Well Master, you already know Lilith. She took the hunter test today and earned her D-Class license," Noah replied, continuing with a light tone. "She’s strong but has always been stubborn since childhood. And lately, she’s been desperate to become a professional hunter. So, we were forced to take some time off to train her. Because we couldn’t stop her stubbornness, nor could we send her into a dungeon unprepared."

"Yes, Master. You can’t reason with her through words," Emily added softly from the side. "So in the end, this was our only choice. We can’t always take her into dungeon raids with us. Because Noah and I mostly handle B or A-class dungeons. A small mistake in one of those could be fatal for Lilith. That’s why, after thinking long and hard, we decided on this step. Now that she has a hunter license, she’ll gradually form a party with other hunters and start with weaker dungeons, which wouldn’t be possible if she was always with us."

Ali leaned back in his chair, folding his arms.

"Yes. I’ve heard of your daughter. She did well in the Arcadia Young Elite Tournament."

Noah smiled faintly, a touch of pride crossing his face. "Yes, Master."

"She has potential," Ali added. "And attitude too. Reminds me a bit of you back in the day."

Noah laughed awkwardly. Emily suppressed a chuckle.

"No way, master. I was always so obedient."

"So, have you decided which party she’ll be joining?" Ali brushed it off with a casual hand wave and asked.

"We were thinking of placing her in Leo’s team," Noah replied. "He’s experienced, calm-headed, and his party’s overall strength is balanced. It’ll be good exposure for her."

Ali nodded. "Good choice. Leo’s team can handle her rough edges. And if she gets too cocky, Leo will know how to bring her back down without killing her spirit."

Noah smiled. "That’s what we were hoping."

There was a short pause. Ali was shifting the scrolls on his desk to the side. Then Noah suddenly remembered something and asked.

"By the way, Master... after all this time, did you finally find someone who can rival you? Or are you still searching? Because today I saw you looking surprisingly energized while acting as an examiner."

Ali gave a rare grin, one corner of his mouth rising ever so slightly. "Still so sharp, aren’t you, Noah. But should you really pry on your own master?" Then after pausing for a bit, he added with a satisfied smile. "But I will still answer you. Actually... I think I did."

Noah’s expression changed instantly. "Oh?"

Emily leaned forward with excitement as well. "Really? Is he or she also an S-class?"

"Nope." Ali replied flatly.

"Then?" Noah asked again.

A smug expression broke across Ali’s face, like a warrior emerging victorious from a long-fought battle. "Tier 2. But....." He paused for a bit before dropping a bombshell. "C-Class."

Noah blinked in disbelief. "Tier 2... and already C-Class?!"

Emily’s eyes widened in shock as well. "Who is he?"

"His name is Aiden. I don’t have much information about his background though."

Noah frowned. "Maybe a genius from some famous magic academy?"

Ali shook his head. "I don’t think so. He is only 12 and magic academies allow only those who are above 15 to enroll there no matter how talented they are."

Noah stared blankly. Like he couldn’t process what he just heard. "Master, did you just say twelve?"

"Yes, he is only twelve like your daughter," Ali said in a proud tone.

Silence.

Emily sat frozen. "Twelve... years old?"

"Twelve," Ali repeated.

Noah leaned back slightly. "You’ve got to be kidding..."

Noah and Emily both reacted that way because neither of them had ever heard of someone who not only reached Tier 2 at the age of twelve but also earned a C-Class hunter license being just Tier 2. That wasn’t just too good. That was unheard of.

"I’m not," Ali replied. "When he first came to take the hunter test, even Elizabeth thought that he was just pulling some pranks. But he kept proving others wrong. And the most shocking part?! He was actually a Tier 1 when he took the hunter exam. Now try to imagine the gravity of the situation."

Both Emily and Noah froze. Some memories started to flash before their eyes. A name resonated in both their minds. Loudly.

Logan Smith!!

A name that had stirred intense commotion just a few days ago. A prodigy.

But.....

Wasn’t he supposed to be dead?!

Both Noah and Emily’s minds raced.

Unable to control his emotions, Noah placed his hand firmly on the desk and asked sharply,

"What about his affinities?! How many does he have?!"